Fitting Front/Rear Swaybars to an R32 GTS-T

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

Does anyone know how to fit Front & Rear Sway bars to an R32 GTST. I am going to buy some so I can be ready for the Track day coming up and was going to fit them with my friend.

Is it fairly easy? or is it going to be one of those things that should be best left to a workshop, I don't mind paying for the labour but I would rather do it myself and have a learning experience.

cheers guys. if anyone has pics with instructions that would be great, i was going to buy the whiteline non -adjustable swaybars. also does anyone know if they come with new bushes or you have to buy them?

[Clint32]

The swaybars are easy to fit if the car is on a hoist, they come with the bushes required to fit them. Im pretty sure the kit has instructions but fitting is just the reverse of removing the old ones.

Also why not get adjustable ones dont cost any more and allow you to fine tune the car if it has a little understeer etc.

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

I asked whiteline and they said $190.00 for each non adjustable sway bar. and over $220 for the adjustable ones. I just don't want to pay extra for something i won't use. but they are fairly easy are they? it won't be on a hoist though, more than likely on jacks or stands

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

I have ordered custom swaybars from wholesale suspension in penrith, the kit inlcudes bushes and washers etc...

the Front is 24mm

the rear is 22mm

that with the current suspension should make it quite the formidable handler

[JimX]

I've got the adjustable bars on my R33. I've got it on the firmest setting and there's a little too much oversteer. I'm enjoying it for now, but I pity anyone that has the non-adjustable version and decides they need to back off the oversteer a bit. It's only an extra $30, why not get the adjustable version?

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

I don't mind oversteer, I think Roy here has his set at the same and he said it isn't too bad, maybe it isn't as bad on the R32. The R33 is a bit bigger and heavier...

[JimX]

Nothing wrong with oversteer, but there is a point where it will be harder to hold traction around a corner because of it especially under power. You need a little bit of give on the other side sometimes. If you're not going to do any trackwork then it doesn't really matter I guess.

The way mine is now I can make the rear step out a lot easier around corners, which is a lot of fun atm But if I ever manage to afford a track day I will experiment with the settings for better traction I think.

[46n2]

I just put my front swaybar in on Saturday. Took a little while, but only because I dont have stock castor rods. Put the front up on ramps, drop out your castor rods, undo the swaybar (you'll need a 14mm & 17mm socket).

You'll need a 14mm spanner (x2 or 1 with a ratchet) to get either end of the swaybar...

Put the new one in. Put the castor rods back in, and go and get a wheel alignment. you can do it without taking the castor rods out (ie - you won't need a wheel alignment), but it's a pain in the arse.

The end result is well worth it all

Because I've only got the front swaybar as an aftermarket item, the bum floats out a little more, but it could also have something to do with my tyres...

Good luck

Michael

[blind_elk]

Originally posted by Mr R32 M-Spec

... but they are fairly easy are they? it won't be on a hoist though, more than likely on jacks or stands

The fun part is getting the rear one up and over the exhaust system. Other than that, its pretty obvious how it all fits together.

I did my rear one with the car up on ramps.

maybe one thing to check before you even start is to lay the new bars on the ground and ensure they sit "flat" ie the 2 "eyes" and the 2 bends all touch the ground (I had a minor drama getting the eyes connected to the link posts)

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

SWAYBARS ARE AN ABSOLUTE (UNT TO FIT! we started at 6:30 pm last night, backed it up on ramps and the rear one was done without any real hassles. then we put the front one when we had finished the rear which only took an hour to do. I was doing this thing till 1:45am this morning and we couldn't get the bloody castor rods in. they just don't line up. I am calling a suspension place this morning.

[JimX]

What part doesn't line up about the castor rods? My biggest issue with mine was getting the tight as hell bastard nuts and bolts off. Once they were done it was pretty easy to take out and put back in. To line them up with the lower suspension arm you may have to pull the suspension arm around to get the 2 bolts to line up, then it just drops in.

I put the big single bolt into the chassis mounting point first, but done up loosely to give it the most amount of freeplay possible. Then tighten everything up once it's all in.

OH! I just noticed you backed the car up onto ramps to do the rear. Did you then put the front on the ramps to do the front? If so then that's your problem. The suspension arms need to be hanging down (put it on axle stands) so you can pull them into the right position.

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

I just rang the suspension place and they said the same thing. I am going to try that then. get the wheels off the ground.

if not they have given me the number of a mobile mechanic they know who is good and cheap. one of their mates apparently

[JimX]

Seriously once you get the wheels off the ground you won't have a problem. You'll need a bit of muscle but since you've already done the rear bar you'll already have used the same muscles successfully

Just be careful! Make sure the car is securely on the stands before you start pulling the suspension arms. You don't have to move them much but it won't take much to knock the car off the stands if it's not on them properly. Chock the wheels, keep the jack in the middle as a standby support, etc.

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

thanx jim. I am not doing it though, I owe my mate MR180T a huge favour after this, its still at his place. he is going to do it today for me. I have a feeling an all round wheel alignment will be needed after this

[JimX]

Yeah you should do a wheel alignment. However I've found that the car steers pretty well without one after putting my new bushes in, so I'm leaving it for now. I'm probably wearing out my front tyres faster, but they are cheapshit ones which I don't intend on keeping their whole lifespan anyway so I'll just wait until I can afford new tyres and do the alignment then.

Also have to put the rear bushes in at some point (preferably before the alignment too).

[Mr R32 M-Spec]

my mate just called me bacck, he got both wheels off the ground and it took him 20 mins to get them on.

what a ba5stard, we were there till the early hours this morning playing wth them!

oh well. he just took it for a test drive and said it handles a bit better, but he has never had the chance to thrash it out a bit so I will probably notice more of a difference

[blind_elk]

Perhaps a bit late, but I understand the castor rods should not be tightened up until the car is on the ground and the suspension has settled to its normal position.

[JimX]

Oh, not too late at all. I think I will loosen mine off and tighten them up again tonight.

[armbrusb]

Hi Mr R32 M-Spec,

Where in Penrith did you get the swaybars from (I live in Erskine Park and that would be handy) - how much did they cost - do you like them?

[Craved]

blinb_elk, any ideas why you would have to wait til on the ground??

just thinking that if they are standard, they cannot change at all!! and if they are not ie adjustable, then they wouldn't be in the same spot anyway!!

just curious is all